Among the many stories Narcos: Mexico told, it also depicted Kiki and Mika Camarena’s true ordeal in Mexico when the country was the dreaded hub of drug trafficking. Stepping in as a law enforcement officer to fight crimes must have felt like one of those usual cop expeditions to DEA Agent Kiki Camarena. Little did he know it would be difficult to track down and capture a Mexican drug lord, Felix Gallardo.
Narcos: Mexico is a spin-off from the parent series Narcos which focused on the origins of Colombia’s bloody drug war and chronicled the events during which there was a fight to anchor Pablo Escobar and his drug cartel in Colombia. While the parent series focuses on events in Colombia, Narcos: Mexico takes us back to the roots of the War on Drugs when Mexico was the hub of drug trafficking by unscrupulous and lawless traffickers.
Moving from Colombia to Mexico wasn’t the only major difference in the show, a new cast was also employed to bring events from Mexico’s criminal past to life. Diego Luna as Felix Gallardo and Micheal Pena as Kiki Camarena, the series’ main characters. Felix Gallardo was a drug lord also known as El Padroni, who built and equipped his drug empire in Mexico, while DEA agent Kiki Camarena fought to corner him. The fight would probably have been easier if Kiki was alone, but he had moved with his pregnant wife, Mika, and son to Mexico.
A close look at Kiki and Mika Camarena’s tragic love story in Narcos: Mexico
It was a peaceful and serene life in California for Kiki and Mika Camarena and their son. Although as a DEA agent, Kiki and his very involved wife already knew what he was up to and expected all the trouble that comes with being a DEA agent. law. But Mika was quick to realize that she would have to move to Guadalajara, Mexico with her beloved husband and their child.
As a loving and supportive wife, she went with her husband; Little did she know they were living the worst days of their lives. Following Felix Gallardo and his cartel was a dangerous path that Kiki Camarena decided to take without hesitation. Mika, knowing that her husband was in danger, was always on the lookout for signs. She even goes so far as to reveal to Kiki’s boss, Jaime (played by Matt Letscher), about her plan B with her husband in case he (Kiki) is captured.
Kiki Camarena, for her part, has done everything possible to make Mika less worried about her safety. He wouldn’t tell her when he was in trouble and sometimes told her little about his plans. Mika Camarena’s fear was sadly realized on the fateful day her husband was killed. A young woman married to a strong and dynamic man, she became a widow and was left alone with her two sons.
For Mika, it seemed like the world was over for her after Kiki Camarena’s death, but she needed to be strong for her children. Narcos: Mexico ended with a suggestion that the show would go on. It’s not certain, but of course viewers should watch Mika Camarena and her sons live without their father and husband.
Kiki and Mika Camarena in reality
In reality, Kiki Camarena died in 1985. He had been abducted in February 1985 by unknown persons while on his way to meet his wife, Mika, for lunch.
The men in question were working on orders given to them by the big wigs of the Guadalajara cartel. Kiki Camarena disappeared and no one knew what happened at the time. A month after his disappearance, he was found dead in Michoacan, Mexico. His body was found next to that of pilot Alfredo Zavala.
The DEA’s search intensified after the bodies of the deceased were found. The agency had opened an investigation into his homicide after finding traces of torture on the bodies.
After the death of her husband, Kiki, Mika Camarena, in real life, moved back to California with her sons. At the time, the United States was ruled by President Ronald Reagan. A campaign called “Red Ribbon Week”, which still takes place each October in honor of the late DEA agent, was launched that year. Today, Red Ribbon Week has become one of the biggest drug prevention awareness campaigns.